Drew Gagnon get the call in the final home game of the 2016 season tonight against New Orleans. (Bobby Steven/MiLB.com)

The Sky Sox reached 40 home wins in 2016 thanks to the 11-3 drubbing of the New Orleans Zephys Wednesday night in the penultimate home game of the 2016 season. Hiram Burgos stole the show with another six strong innings to round out the month of August. He earned the win and allowed a run on five hits while striking out five.Garrett Cooper got the scoring going to the Sox with a two-run homer in the second inning, a majestic shot that looked like a beautiful drive on the golf course, which put the Sox up for good at 2-1. The offense would roll for another run in the third and five more in the fourth inning putting the game well out of reach. The 3-4 hitters of Lewis Brinson and Garin Cecchini combined to go 7-for-10 with 7 RBI, not too bad out of the heart of your order I would say…Burgos also chipped in with an RBI single and improved to 5-0 with a 1.13 ERA over his last five starts. What a run he is on to end the season and it couldn’t happen to a better guy.

This evening, the Sky Sox and Zephyrs are set to do battle in the final game of a rain-shortened three-game series which makes up the final homestand of the 2016 campaign. REPEAT THIS IS THE FINAL HOMEGAME OF THE 2016 SEASON. This is the fourth and final series these two teams will play here this season. The Sky Sox enter play looking to continue their winning ways and get closer to the .500 mark. They come into the tilt with a home record 40-27. They are back to one game under .500 at 66-67 and sit in second place, 8.5 games in back of the Dodgers with their playoff hopes gone with the wind. In hopes of continuing the final week on the upslope, Colorado Springs will send righty Drew Gagnon to the hill against 34 year-old left hander Chris Narveson. Gagnon has made three tarts and twenty-seven relief appearances with the Sox to the tune of a 1-1 record and 6.20 ERA, while Narveson, the former Brewer 4-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 19 games with New Orleans. Both teams have been eliminated from postseason play. The Sox are 9-5 against the Marlins’ top affiliate and have taken five of the last six games of the season series, and have compiled a 91-70 all-time record against them and are 44-34 at Security Service Field.

Today’s Game Notes / Listen Live at 6:00 MDT / Lineups

Colorado Springs Sky Sox (66-67) vs. New Orleans Zephyrs (67-69) – 6:35 p.m. – Security Service Field – Colorado Springs, Colorado

Pitching Matchup: RHP Drew Gagnon (1-1, 6.20) vs. LHP Chris Narveson (4-5, 3.36)

Sky Sox Pitcher: Righty Drew Gagnon is slated to get his fourth start, third in a row, and will make his 31th Triple-A appearance of the year tonight against the zephyrs at Security Service Field. Gagnon went three and two-third innings against the Dodgers his last time to the mound and in three starts has compiled 10 2/3 frames of work. Overall he is 1-1 with a 6.20 ERA in 27 bullpen outings and the three starts. Across 49 1/3 innings pitched, the righty has allowed 38 runs, 34 earned on 58 hits, 20 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Opponents in the PCL are hitting .294 against the California native. Gagnon picked up the win against Iowa on June 14th at home and took the loss against New Orleans at home on July 3. He has also made 5 appearances with Biloxi, including one start and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA down in Double-A. Gagnon was selected by the Brewers in the 3rd round of the 2011 draft out of Long Beach State University. In six pro seasons he is 29-38 with two saves and a 4.69 ERA in 148 games, 109 of which have been starts.

8/24/16 at Oklahoma City – Gagnon climbed the hill against the division’s best team and threw 3 2/3 solid innings. He allowed an earned run on 2 hits, walked 3 and struck out a season-high 8 batters. He threw 79 pitches, 43 of which went for strikes in a game that the Sox won 5-1.

Last 10 Games for Gagnon:

Zephyrs Pitcher: LHP Chris Narveson will make his 19th trip to the mound and 14th start tonight in the final game of the three-game series. The southpaw 4-5 with a 3.36 ERA in his first 19 appearances with New Orleans and 1-0 with a 8.64 ERA in six bullpen appearances with the Marlins. He took the pill on May 11 against the Sky Sox and did not factor into the decision with four innings and He went seven scoreless against them on June 6th, both starts have come in the Big Easy. Andy Wilkins and Keon Broxton took him deep in the first game, which the Sky Sox would go on to win 9-5 and only one hit was recorded against him on the 6th. Narveson has fared better at home going 1-2 with a 2.19 ERA and is 3-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 10 road appearances. The lefty was drafted by the Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 2000 draft and has pitched for the St. Louis, Boston, Milwaukee, and Miami organizations. In 251 minor-league outings he is 62-81 with a 3.96 ERA and in 118 MLB appearances he is 30-19 with a 4.71 ERA.

Last Time Out: 8/27/2016 vs. Round Rock – Narveson started the game and went 3 scoreless frames. He walked one and struck out four, throwing 43 pitches, 25 of which went for strikes in a game the Zs lost 5-2. It was his first appearance with the Zephyrs after he spent August 9-19 in the big leagues, but never pitched.

Last 10 Games for Narveson –

Dan Karcher (@SkySoxKarch) continues his 27th season behind the mic for Sky Sox games, he and I will have the call of tonight’s game from Security Service Field at 6:35 p.m. Sky Sox Warmup will get off the ground and running at 6:00 MDT on XTRA Sports 1300.

Thanks for reading – See you on the radio,

Dan

@Dan_Acheson